What got you started?

[vew-tori]

When DD was 2 1/2 she crawled up in her grandfather's lap with a catalog and said, "Ho Ho bring me this." Santa came thru with Bitty, her Lullaby Basket and changing table. As she grew we got the twins, then Hailey from Hopscotch Hill. Last summer we met my inlaws (the same grandfather) in Chicago for DD's birthday and Molly came to live with us. I found the board after that trip and was easily convinced she needed a friend (I needed my own doll) so Dorothy came to us via ebay. We thought she was a today girl but she is really a Molly. DH surprised me with Kirsten for Christmas and DD with Marisol for her 1st Communion. I've also been able to spread the addiction to my MIL (DD look-a-like),sister (Addy), 3 nieces (Samantha, Kit, and Bitty) and 1 nephew (Boy twin Jack.)

My sister and I will be driving to Chicago next week with 4 kids. My niece has saved all year to but Nellie. I can't wait to see her face as she pays for her. It will be priceless!

[tatabatata]

Well... it's long story...
I got some of the catalogs back when expecting DD, but at that point we were more broke than anything, so I just dreamed of one day being able to get some of the dolls.
Later, still in financial hell, I saw the opening of AGP inNYC and dreamed of bringing my daughter there one day, despite the fact that it was so incredibly pie in the sky...
Well.. may be I wished upon the right [img]graemlins/star.gif[/img] but here I am, 8 years later, living in Long Island and with a decent salary, so I could bring DD to AGP, get her Alice (AGT22) and that is where it started! Now I am getting stuff for myself too! INcluding a birthday party at AGP in July!
Fun!
Ana [img]graemlins/wilted.gif[/img]

[Janabanana]

When I saw the title of this one I knew I had to respond! My older DDs used to show me the catalogs when they were younger and were reading the books they got from the library! They really wanted a doll and we just couldn't financially do it those days! I have one younger daughter (who is 9 years younger than the rest.) The rest had graduated and left home and she first received Josefina. She had a younger friend who had Kirsten and really wanted an AG! After that I found a Samantha on Ebay. She had never been played with and came with about 20 outfits!!! She then received Kirsten,Felicity, Lindsey,and Kailey. This year she said she didn't want anything AG for Christmas and I was kind of heartbroken! After Christmas she said that Christmas jsut wasn't as good without any AG doll stuff!!!
In December of 2002 I found this board and had always admired my daughters dolls so much that with just a little encouragement...by January I had my first doll. I found her on Ebay and she is a white bodied Kirsten. She's is in great shape. After her I also got Samantha, Felicity,Molly, Agot 21,Corinne, Agot 15,Suga and a redo Kirsten and redo Molly. The last two are redheads and are named Margeaux and Meg. I know I'm not done collecting and really want my own Josefina and Marisol. I can say that I still want many more and only time will tell! My husband thinks we are running over! This summer I plan to finish my doll house building and will be putting more albums together! Who thought one little board could do all this! [img]wink.gif[/img]

[Katie from IL]

I picked up the Molly Story Collection and read the first story. I read it after reading Anne Frank. Anne Frank was the first entire book I read from beginning to end, and Molly's Story Collection, which has all 6 Molly books, was the second. That was in 2001-not when I was a child but when I was 25. After I finished Molly's collection, I read Kit's, then Samantha's, then went through all the girls. I bought my first dolls-Molly and AG19 together at AGPC later that same year.

[AmericanGirlLover2982]

Well I was a big AG fan when I was a little girl, I always read the books and read every single collection of the American Girl Collection Dolls. But I was never had a doll because I could not afford one. So when I turned 21 I rediscovered my childhood again.

My AG Obsession started in August 2003. When I went to a Yankee Game and recived a Yankee Doll Sized Team Jacket. The guy thought I was like 14 yers old because I look younger then my actual age. So the guy handed me the jacket and said here you go little girl. I was like ok what am surpose to do with this. Then after the Yankee Game I came home and went on line and looked at American Girl.com. I brought my doll which was Kaiely LE American Girl Today 2003. After that followed Coconut and then soon after that followed Samanthana for my Birthday in 2004 and then Christmas 2004 came Nellie, and the for my Birthday 2005 came Pre-Mattel Felicity from my good freind Lorie here on the baord (mom_to_an_americangirl).

Since I have collected almost of Samantha and Nellies clothes some of thir little acessories and for Felicity I have entire wardrobe of what is not retired. In time I plan to collect all their furtiture and accessories.

Nikki [img]graemlins/rose.gif[/img]

<font color="#051E50" size="1">[ June 06, 2005 10:13 PM: Message edited by: Samantha_Nellie_ Felicitys_Mommy ]</font>

[jennifermarym]

I don't remember the first catalog that came to the house, but I remember staring at the pages for hours. I'd circle everything I had wanted. (I still don't have everything I circled, but that is neither here nor there). I loved Samantha! I got her for Christmas of '89 and my sister got Molly even though she wasn't supposed to get it until her birthday in February. I don't know if she was really that into her doll because she had hundreds of Barbies and Molly didn't exactly fit in with the dreamhouse, but she got her anyway. After that I bought Kirsten and Felicity on my own and pretty much forgot about AG until my Nana bought Josefina for me when she first came out. I put the dolls away again until a few months ago when a paper I wrote about class distinction brought up the AG's. I took Samantha's dusty trunk out of the back of my closet and haven't been able to close it since.
That's my story...
now I am on a mission to get everything ever made for Samantha. Unfortunately I am going broke in the process. Oh well, all in the name of American Girl! [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[Princess_Lyndsi]

My grandma (may God bless my grandma [img]tongue.gif[/img] ) asked me if I wanted one. I fell in love with Kit the very first time I saw her, so my wonderful grandparents got me Kit and her Christmas dress (and a pottery wheel [img]tongue.gif[/img] ) for Christmas, and I've been addicted...I mean collecting ever since. [img]biggrin.gif[/img]

[amandajg]

We started to get the catalogues in the mail around 1990 or so, and my mom and I would look through them. Even before I read the books I loved Kirsten. In second grade, I read all of the books (at that time there were only Kirsten, Samantha, and Molly - Felicity was added a bit after I started being interested in AG). I wanted Kirsten so bad (and I had a friend who wanted Samantha) that I used to pretend one of my other dolls, who was blonde, was Kirsten, while my friend pretended that her dark haired doll was Samantha. My friend's mom then bought her a Samantha, and soon after ('coincidentally') as a surprise for finishing 2nd grade, my mom told me that she would buy me Kirsten. I still remember the moment she told me that and I was SO excited, I remember screaming and being so happy. My friend and I spent the next few years playing with our dolls almost every day (no kidding). It was great, we had so much fun collecting the outfits and creating rooms and stories for the girls. I believe my devotion to AG then has kept me devoted to AG all of this time. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[auri]

I got the first catalog in the fall of 1986 (how I wish I kept it!). I knew right away that these were the most amazing dolls I'd ever seen and that I had to start buying them. Fortunately, I had a newborn daughter to provide me with an excuse. [img]smile.gif[/img] She's going on 20 now and I'm still collecting.

[Felicity Merriman]

Originally posted by Kaileyfan1:
<font face="Comic Sans MS">When I was in 4th grade last year, I went over my friend's house and she had Kailey and an American Girl Today doll, I was never really into dolls so my mom was like why are you suddenly getting into American Girl Dolls, My friend also had The retired Coconut's Stationary set and I really am into stationary and Dogs so I loved it. When I went to the website Americangirlstore.com I really badly wanted Kailey. I told my dad I wanted her and he said if you clean your room we will go down tomorrow to the store and buy her. I was so excited! When I got to the store I got Kailey, the Retired Glitter Jeans Outfit, The hreat print Pajamas, Coconut, The Coconut statationary set, and The retired heart trundle bed and sheet set.</font>

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">For cleaning your room? Wow...